Buckaroos’ loss to Mavericks puts district record at 0-2

The Buckaroos’ game against the Eastland Mavericks on Friday night was drastically different from the Jim Ned matchup the week before, but the end result was the same – a loss for Breckenridge decided in the last few seconds of the game.

When the Buckaroos traveled to Tuscola to play Jim Ned on Oct. 12, rain dominated the second half, and Breckenridge didn’t score until the fourth quarter. The final score of that game was 7-10.

In contrast, on Oct. 19 in Breckenridge High School’s Buckaroo Stadium, the skies were clear, and the hometown team scored less than halfway through the first quarter. The final score of the game was 41-44, five times the total points of the Buckaroos’ first district game of the season.

Head Coach Casey Hubble talks to the Breckenridge Buckaroos following their loss to the Eastland Mavericks on Friday night.(Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Head Coach Casey Hubble explained what he said to the Breckenridge team immediately after the game: “I just told them I was proud of them, they way fought. You know, we closed some ground this week in practice and came together as a team a little bit and it showed. But, you know, great things don’t happen overnight,” he said. “So I’m proud of our kids. I apologize to ’em that I couldn’t find a way to help us get that one because we played like winners, but you don’t get the win just because you play like winners. So I’m proud of ’em,; I love ’em; and we’re going to go back to work tomorrow.”

Friday night’s game started out on a positive note. After a multiple-play possession, Breckenridge’s Owen Woodward took the ball the final yard for the first touchdown of the game at 7:06 in the first quarter. Justin Bell’s extra point made the score 7-0. Before the quarter was finished, Woodward did it again, making another 1-yard touchdown. The point-after kick was no good that time, and the score was 13-0.

In the second quarter, the Eastland High School Mavericks answered with three touchdowns, scoring at 7:31, 4:32 and 2:22. At halftime, the score was Buckaroos 13, Mavericks 21.

In the last two minutes of the first half, Woodward was injured and did not return to the field for the rest of the game. Kevin Franco took over as quarterback.

When the third quarter started, the Buckaroos got the ball and Angel Ruiz scored immediately with a 75-yard run. Bell’s kick was good, and at 11:46 in the third quarter, the score was 20-21.

A minute later, Eastland scored a touchdown but failed to get the extra point. At 10:44, it was 20-27.

Friday night’s game was a “Pink Out,” with the band sporting pink plumes and accents to raise awareness of the fight against breast cancer. Several of the Buckaroo football players wore pink wrist bands, and the cheerleaders work pink t-shirts. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Beginning what would become a pattern, the Buckaroos scored at 7:52 with a Franco pass to Bell and the extra point, tying the game at 27-27. Before the quarter was finished, Eastland scored again, taking the score to 27-34.

A couple of minutes into the fourth quarter, Franco made a 3-yard run for the touchdown. Bell’s kick was good, and the score was tied again, 34-34. With 4:44 left in the game, the Mavericks scored again, pulling ahead of the Buckaroos once again, 34-41.

But, the Buckaroos weren’t giving up. At 1:26 on the clock, Ruiz made a 22-yard run for a touchdown. Bell’s kick tied the score one final time at 41-41.

Once Eastland got the ball in those last 94 seconds, they didn’t give it up. With only three seconds left on the clock, the Mavericks had the ball and it looked like overtime might be a possibility. But Eastland kicked a field goal, pulling ahead by three points to win the game, 41-44.

“The kids executed,” Hubble said. “We eliminated a bunch of mistakes. You know we didn’t have near as many false starts. We didn’t have any turnovers. I don’t think we put the ball on the ground one time, and that’s what you get, you get a chance to nearly win a game, a big game.”

The loss puts the Buckaroos at 0-2 in district play this season, 2-5 overall. The rest of the District 3-3A-Division 1 falls in line as follows:

Eastland: 6-1 overall, 2-0 district

Wall: 4-2 overall, 2-0 district

Jim Ned: 5-2 overall, 1-1 district

Clyde: 3-4 overall, 1-1 district

Early: 4-3 overall, 0-2 district

The Buckaroos travel to Early on Friday, Oct. 26, to play the Early High School Longhorns. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.